Machine for closing cartons



Feb. 5, 1952 A. E. RIDEOUT MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARTONS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 9. 1948 lliflllvlli u BY QWMW ATTORNEYS Feb.- 5, 1952 V A. E. RIDEOUT 2,534,925

' MACHINE \FOR CLOSING CARTONS Filed June 9, 19 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 AT TOFNEYJ Feb. 5, 1952 A. E. RIDEOUT 2,584,925

MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARTONS Filed June 9, 1948 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 c ccooOo ATTORNEYS Feb. 5, 1952 A. E. RIDEOUT MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARTONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 9, 1948 1952 A. E. RIDEOUT 1 2,584,925

MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARTONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 9, 1948 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 MACHINE FOR CLOSING CARTONS Arthur E. Rideout, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Emhart Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1948, Serial No. 31,911

9 Claims. 1

This application relates to improvements in machines for closing cartons containing a nume ber, usually one or two dozen, bottles of the size commonly used for beer, ginger ale and like beverages.

For many years beverages of this type were universally distributed in wooden cases having rigid partitions dividing the case into separate compartments each of a size to hold one bottle. In recent years, however, corrugated fiber cartons with top and bottom flaps such as used generally as shipping cases for cans, soap, packages of cereal and the like, have largelysuperseded the wooden cases as distributing cases for beverage bottles, the cartons being supplied with partie tions made out of strips of corrugated paper in order to provide separate pockets for holding each bottle. Such cases can be closed and sealed by means of the conventional carton gluer such as shown, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 1,815,571 to Kimball et al., thereby protecting the contents against pilferage and damage.

The conventional shipping carton is not, however, altogether satisfactoryfor handling bottles of beverages for the reason that such beverages are to a large measure purchased in case lots and the case is used by the purchaser, after it has been opened, to hold the bottles until they are all disposed of. The flaps of an ordinary shipping carton when opened up are very much in the way, and usually must be closed again after each bottle is removed, necessitating the opening and closing of the flaps every time a bottle is removed from the case. In this respect the wooden cases formerly used were far more convenient and served much better the purpose of a distributing container than the conventional shipping carton with over-lapping top flaps.

The object of my invention is to provide a shipping and distributing container for bottles such as beer bottles and the like, which fully protects the contents in the same manner and to the same extent as the conventional shipping carton when closed and sealed, but which when in use serves in the same manner as the former wooden case to. hold the bottles, both full and empty, until the contents of all the bottles is consumed. My improved container also requires less corrugated board than the conventional shipping case with both top and bottom flaps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a case of this kind which may be packed and sealed with existing machinery with very little change in the same. a

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my improved beverage package and also the successive steps performed in the manufacture of the same. I have also illustrated a suitable arrangement of automatic machines for closing and sealing my improved case.

Referring to said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a series of perspective views showing the successive steps performed in closing and sealing the carton;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of a conventional carton-closing machine modified to perform the initial sealing operation of my improved carton;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a conventional dryer or compression unit modified to accommodate my improved shippingcase and also a portion of a second gluer for gluing certain flaps of my improved shipping case which are not glued in the unit shown in Figs. 2 and 3; 4

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the compression unit shown in Fig. 4;

Fig.6 is a side elevation of portions of the second gluing unit which are not shown in Figs. 4 5, together with the compression unit or dryer used in conjunction with this second gluing unit;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of a modified form of the machine wherein the blanks for forming the lid of the carton are automatically fed to m h e Fig. 9 is a plan view of a portion of the ma-. chine shown in Fig. 8.; and

Fig. 10 is a transverse section on line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

My improved beverage package consists essentially of a case, see Fig. l, of the same character as. an or inary orru ated p p r hipp r n except that it has flaps on one end only and may, if desired, be provided with hand holders H0 in the end walls I l to facilitate handling. The cases may be made of corrugated paper such as commonly used for cartons for cans and the like, but if desired solid fiber board may be used. Instead of flaps for closing the top of the case a separate lid is provided consisting of a middle portion co-extensive in area with the top of the case and with four narrow marginal flaps extending outwardly from its four sides.

In forming my new package the cases which as sold are folded fiat, are in the usual manner squared up by hand and fed to the bottle packaging machine. The separate lids are also sold in flat form, preferably with score lines at the' base of the flaps. A bottle-packing machine of the type now widely used for packing beer bottles and the like is shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,219,827, dated October 29, 1940. This machine is designed for packing the conventional cartons with the usual top and bottom flaps, but may be used without change for packing bottles in my improved carton wherein the top flaps are omitted. The carton is squared up by the operator as described, with the bottom flaps folded but unsealed, and is placed in the bottle packing machine where it receives a charge of bottles. The loaded cartons are discharged from the bottle packing machine onto the feed conveyor of a carton-sealing machine of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,815,571, referred to above, but with certain modifications which will be later described.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the successive steps performed in closing and sealing my improved case. At I the case I 9 with the bottom flaps closed but not sealed is shown as it is delivered from the bottle packing machine to the sealing machine. As the case is advanced into the sealing machine the operator places a lid l2 on the case and holds it in position until it is engaged by the lid-holding mechanism which grasps the front and rear flaps l3 of the lid and bends them down against the adjacent end walls of the case, as shown at II.

The next step in the operation is to apply adhesive to the under side of the side flaps I4, as shown at III. At the same time the bottom side flaps l6 are turned outward into horizontal position and glued in the usual manner. The side flaps M are then folded down against the side walls of the case, as shown at IV. The lower side flaps l6 are at the same time folded back against the lower bottom flaps.

The case is then given a quarter turn, see V, and discharged into a second sealing machine. The first operation of this second unit is to fold the end flaps 13, now extending transversely of the line of travel of the cases, upwardly into horizontal position, as shown at VI. The flaps l3 are then glued (see VII) and folded down against the end walls H of the case, as shown at VIII, thus forming a completely closed and sealed case, but with the lid formed as a separate piece.

In use the carton is opened by removing the lid, which can readily be done by running a knife around the top of the carton between the flaps of the lid and the walls of the carton. The lid can then be thrown away, leaving the top of the case open so that it serves as a dispensing container for the bottles in the same way as the old wooden case. Removing the lid in this manner seldom injures the case, and when the empty bottles are returned to the bottling establishment the case can be used again.

In Figs. 2 to '7 inclusive I have shown an automatic machine for closing and sealing my improved case. This machine comprises essentially two sealing machines of the general type shown in the above mentioned patent to Kimball et 8.1., with an intervening turntable which is automatically operated through 90 as each box is delivered to it from the first section of the sealing machine, so that the carton goes through the second sealing machine with what were front and rear flaps of the lid now positioned as side flaps and projecting outwardly from each side of the moving case where they can be gummed and sealed by sealing mechanism similar to that $3 1..

4 ployed in the first section of the machine for sealing the side flaps.

The first section of the machine, Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a timer of the type shown, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 1,998,842, for timing the feed of the cartons into the machine in synchronism with the flights on the feed chain by means of which the cartons are advanced through the machine. As the timing mechanism is identical with that employed in the machine of the above mentioned patent, it is not here described, but is designated generally in the drawingby reference numeral 20. The flight chain 2| advances the cartons successively and continuously through the closing and sealing mechanism. In the first section of the machine we employ a bottom flapgluing and sealin mechanism similar to that employed in the above mentioned patent, No. 1,815,571. This mechanism will not be shown in detail or described herein but is generally indicated by the reference character 22.

The top sealing mechanism of the first unit is designed to glue and seal the short side flaps of the lid of the carton. Means are also provided for holding the lid in place during this operation. This means comprises a chain 23 driven in synchronism with the flight chain and carrying at spaced intervals equal to the distance between the flights of the chains 2| a pair of grippers 24, 25, the grippers being spaced apart a distance equal to the long horizontal dimension of the carton being sealed. Each forward gripper 24 is formed with a flat face perpendicular to the plane of movement of the chain and attached to the chain in a position to be engaged by the front flap 0n the lidof the case as it is advanced by the flight chain 2|, thereby folding the flap down against the front end wall of the case. The flight chain and the chain 23 on which the grippers 24, 25 are mounted are driven in synchronism and as the rear gripper 25 passes around the support ing sprocket at the receiving end of. the machine,- the front face of the gripper which is perpendicular to the path of movement of the chain turns 5 from the horizontal position to the vertical position and in doing so engages the rear projecting end flap of the lid and folds it down against the rear wall of the case, the two grippers thus holding the lid firmly in place on top of the case with the side flaps projecting outwardly on each side of the case.

As the movement of the case is continued by the advance of the flight chain the projecting side flaps engage stationary folders 26 which turn them upwardly into horizontal position so as to pass over the glue-applying rollers 21 supported on the machine frame beyond the folders 26 and operate to apply a film of glue to the under face of the projecting side flaps l4. As the side flaps leave the glue rollers they encounter stationary folders 28 which engage the upper unglued face of the projecting side flaps and turn them down against the side walls of the case.

As the case is advanced beyond the folders 28 the chain 23 carrying the grippers 24 and 25 is carried by the return sprocket 29 upwardly and back toward the entrance end of the machine, thereby releasing the lids which are now held by the adherence of the glued side flaps. Beyond the folders 28 the folded and glued side flaps are engaged by narrow belts 30 supported on pulleys 3| mounted alongside the path of movement of the upper edge of the case and driven in synchronism with the flight chain.

the belt serving to maintain the freshlyglued flaps in contact with the side walls of the case as the case. advances from the sealing unity to the dryer or compression unit wherein the flaps are held under pressure until the glue. is dried.

The compression unit is similar to the: compression unit described in the above. mentioned patent to Kimballet al. except that it is provided with additional pressure members designed to exert pressure against the side walls of the case as well as on. the top of the case, to thereby exert sealing pressure against the recently glued bottom flaps and also the two side flaps which, inthemachine here described, are bent downwardly and are sealed against the side walls of the case.

As described in the aforementioned patent, the compression unit comprises a driven carrier belt 35- onto the cartons are discharged by the flights on the carrier chain of the sealing unit. Mountedabove the path of movement 'of the cases inposition to be engaged by the front edge of the cartonas it is advanced. in the compression unit is a starting switch 36 which starts the motor of the compression unit and thereby drives the carrier belt 35 in a direction to advance the cartons, the carrier belt continuing in operation until the last received carton moves from under the starting switch and allows it to drop, thereby cutting on the power from the driving motor.

Overlying the carrier belt and supported by a vertically adjustable frame 3? (see Figs. 4 and 5) are a series of spring-pressed rollers 38 over which a pressure: belt 39 isv mounted in the manner disclosed in the above mentioned patent to Kimball et al. This belt is preferably not driven but serves through the springpressed rollers to hold the carton under pressure against the moving driving belt. until the glue on the bottom flaps is firmly set.

In the machine described in said above mentioned patent the upper flaps of the carton are also sealed in the gluer and therefore the belt 39 serves to maintain these flaps under pressure during. the setting of the glue, as well as the bottom fi'aps. In the machine of this application the side flaps have been turned down and glued against the outer face of the side walls of the case, and to hold these flaps during the period necessary for the glue to set there is provided on each side of the frame 3'! a spring pressed rail d9 positioned to engage the outer faces of the flaps on the side edges of the. lid and hold them firmly pressed against the wall of the case as it is advanced through the compression unit by the belt 35. The compression unit, which is of a length sufficient, depending on the speed of operation of the machine, to allow the glue to set, discharges the cases with the side fiaps glued in the manner above described, onto a turntable 5.9. In order to permit the carton delivered to the turntable to be turned without displacing the immediately following, carton, there is provided at the delivery end of the compression unit, a short length of belt 5| which is continuously driven at a higher speed than the belt of the compression unit and thus serves to space the carton delivered to the turntable away from the following carton in the compression unit, and also serves to deliver the carton to the turntable. The belt 5| may conveniently, by connections not shown, be driven from the driving pulley of the timer 6| of the second sealing unit, to which the carton is delivered from the turntable. This turntable presents a smooth, upper surface supported in the plane of the. upper face of the carrier belt at and the turntable as a whole, including its frame is, adjustable horizontally toward and fromthe belt 5|. Byproperly adjusting the positionof the turntable each carton delivered. tothe belt 5| will? come to rest with its center directlyover the center of the turntable.

Themechanism provided for rotating the turntable through at each operation comprises an electric motor 52 having a starting switch 53- adjustabl-y mounted on the frameof the compression unit so as to be released when the cartonhas been advanced to a position over the center of the turntable. A one-revolution clutch, not shown, having a'four-to-one reduction gear with the turntable serves'to stop the turntable after each quarter turn.

Upon each operation of the turntable the case delivered to it by the compression unit is turned tobring its longitudinal axis to a transverse position, thereby turning the unsealed end flaps into position to be glued and sealed by side fiap sealers of the type previously described. The turntable is slightly less in diameter than the long dimension of the shortest case which the machine is designed to handle, and consequently when the next succeeding case is delivered to the turntable by the compression unit of the first section of the machine the case which has just been turned through an arc of 90 will be ejected from the turntable.

To receive the ejected; case there isprovided a second, timing unit 6| of the type shown in S. Patent No. 1,998,842 referred to above. The belt of this timing unit is driven somewhat faster than the belt 5| and thus draws the turned carton away from the one being fed to the turntable. The timer 6| serves to feed the cases into the second sealing unit of the machine in timed relation with the flight chain 62 of the second sealing unit. The second sealing unit comprises a smooth supporting platen 63 over which the cases are advanced by the carrier chain. Supported above the platen on a vertically adjustable frame 64 are stationary folders 55 for fold ing the side flaps outwardly into horizontal position. Glue rollers 66 apply glue to the under side of the extending side flaps and stationary folders 6'! fold the glued flaps down against the walls of the case, these parts being all similar to the corresponding parts of the first section and described above.

Beyond the second gluing unit is a compression unit 68 similar to the first described compression unit, except that the upper belt and presser rollers are omitted. During the passage of the case through this second compression unit the fiaps on the shorter sides of the carton which now extend parallel with the direction of movement of the carton, are held under pressure until the glue sets, so that when the case is delivered from the second compression unit the bottom fiaps and all four top flaps will be firmly glued in position, thus completely sealing the case.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have illustrated a modified machine comprising a single unit for gluing and sealing all four of the marginal flaps of the lid of my improved container. As here shown, this single unit is in all respects the same'as the first unit of the above described machine except for certain additions which will now be described.

The frame of the machine is preferably somewhat lengthened to allow a greater space or a longer path of travel for the carton from the time it is engaged by the feed chain carrying the flight bars until it reaches the folders which position the side flaps to be engaged by the glue rollers. The platen of the machine is lengthened so as to provide a short space through which the carton is advanced by the flight bar before it engages the side folders. Mounted alongside the machine adjacent this extended portion of the frame is a magazine for receiving a supply of lids which are cut to the shape previously described and scored, but which are preferably not bent in the cutting and scoring operation and consequently lie fiat in the magazine. Extending from the magazine to a position over the path of the cases in advance of the side folders are rails 8| over which the lids are advanced from the magazine to a position overlying the path of movement of the cases as they are advanced by the flight bars. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for feeding the bottom lid from the magazine onto the tracks and advancing it into position over the path of movement of the cases. I have shown for the purpose a pair of feed belts 82 which are provided with lugs 83 of a height to engage the edge of the bottom lid as the chains are advanced and advance the lid into position overlying the path of movement of the carton with its side score lines in line with the edges of the carton.

In order to properly position lids of different size the magazine, including its entire supporting frame, is adjustable bodily toward and away from the side frame of the sealing machine.

The tracks 8| are interrupted at a point overlying the middle line of the sealing machine to provide a space for the passage of the upper ends of fingers 86 which are attached to the flight bars of the feed chain and project above the position alongside the path of movement of the lids as advanced by the feed chains 82 and serve to apply glue to the under side of the end flaps of the lid as the lid is advanced along the tracks 8|.

The fingers 86 are provided with adjustable lidengaging portions 86a so that as the lid and case are advanced together the lid will be so positioned that the score lines of its front and rear flaps overlie the front and rear edges of the case. As the case and lid clear the tracks 8| the lid drops on the case with its four score lines in registry with the four side walls of the case. Hence, when the front and rear flaps of the lid are engaged by the lid-holding members 24, 25 the freshly glued front and rear flaps will be pressed down into engagement with the upper margins of the front and rear walls of the case.

In the modification of the machine here described the grippers 24, 25 are made in three sections separated by a distance slightly greater than the width of the feed fingers 86 and are of a width to engage a sufiicient area of the flap surface to hold the fiaps firmly pressed against the side wall of the case.

In order to provide for irregularities in the thickness of the cardboard and also variations in the exact dimensions of the case, each of the grippers 24, 25 is provided on its face with a yielding pressure shoe 9D, the faces of the shoes when the two grippers are in their downward position being spaced apart slightly less than the length of the case whereby the springs of the shoes will be placed under compression and the flaps firmly gripped during the continued passage of the case through the machine. The modified machine is otherwise the same as the first unit of the first described machine, and consequently has not been illustrated.

In the machine above described no operator is required to position the lids on the advancing cases. The feed chain 82 is driven in timed relation with the movement of the flight bar to feed one lid.

I claim:

1. In a machine for closing filled cartons, the combination of means for opening, gluing and closing the bottom flaps of the filled carton, means for holding a separate lid having marginal flaps on said carton during its advance through the bottom flap-closing means, means acting simultaneously with the bottom flap-closing means for gluing and sealing the side flaps of said lid against the outer side walls of said carton, and. means for thereafter gluing and sealing the front and rear flaps of said lid against the outside walls of the carton.

2. In a machine for closing cartons having a separate lid with marginal flaps, the combination of means for advancing the carton, means arranged alongside the path of the carton for closing and sealing the marginal flaps along the edges of the lid parallel with the path of movement of the carton, means for thereafter advancing the carton in a direction parallel with the edges of the unsealed flaps, and means during such advance of the carton for closing and sealin said flaps.

3. In a machine for closing cartons having a separate lid with marginal flaps, the combination of means for advancing the carton, means arranged alongside the path of the carton for closing and sealing the marginal flaps along the edges of the lid parallel with the path of movement of the carton, means for giving the carton a quarter turn, means for continuing the ad- 'vance of the carton in the same direction, and

means for closing and sealing the unsealed flaps during the second advance of the carton.

4. In a machine for closing filled cartons., the combination of means for opening, gluing and closing the bottom flaps of the filled carton, means for holding a separate lid having marginal flaps on said carton during its advance through the bottom flap-closing means, means acting simultaneously with the bottom flap-closing means for gluing and sealing the side flaps of said lid against the outer side walls of said carton, and means for thereafter advancing the carton in the same direction and closing and sealing the unsealed flaps against the outside walls of the carton.

5. In a machine for closing filled cartons, the combination of means for opening, gluing and closing the bottom flaps of the filled carton, means for holding a separate lid having marginal flaps on said carton during its advance through the bottom flap-closing means, means acting simultaneously with the bottom flap-closing means for gluing and sealing the side flaps of said lid against the outer side walls of said carton, means for giving the carton a quarter turn, and means for thereafter advancing the carton in the same direction and closing and sealing the unsealed flaps against the outside walls of the carton.

6. In a machine for closing filled cartons, the combination of means for opening, gluing and closing the bottom flaps of the filled carton, means for holding a separate lid having marginal flaps on said carton during its advance through the bottom flap-closing means, said means comprising members engaging the front and rear marginal flaps and pressing them against the walls of the carton, means acting simultaneously with the bottom flap-closing means for gluing and sealing the side flaps of said lid against the outer side walls of said carton, and means for thereafter gluing and sealing the front and rear flaps of said lid against the outside walls of the carton.

7. In a machine for closing cartons having separate lids with marginal flaps, the combination of means for advancing the carton, means for positioning the lid over the path of movement of the carton to be advanced therewith, means for applying the lid to the carton and holding it in position thereon during the advance of the carton, and means acting during the advance of the carton to close and seal the marginal flaps of the lid against the outside walls of the carton.

8. In a machine for closing cartons having separate lids with marginal flaps, the combination of means for advancing the carton, a magazine for the carton lids adjacent the path of movement of the cartons, means for advancing 10 I a lid from said magazine to a position over the path of movement of the cartons, means for applying the adhesive to two opposite marginal flaps of the carton lid during its movement from the magazine, and means for applying said lid to said carton and simultaneously folding the flaps having the applied adhesive into contact with the outside walls of the carton.

9. In a machine for closing cartons having separate lids with marginal flaps, the combination of means for advancing the carton, a magazine for the carton lids adjacent the path of movement of the cartons, means for advancing a lid from said magazine to a position over the path of movement of the cartons, means for applying adhesive to two opposite marginal flaps of the carton lid during its movement from the magazine, means for applying said lid to said carton and simultaneously folding the flaps having the applied adhesive into contact with the outside walls of the carton, and means for applying adhesive to the unsealed flaps and folding them against the outside face of the adjacent walls of the carton.

ARTHUR E. RIDEOUT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 915,455 Lynch, Jr Mar. 16, 1909 1,815,571 Kimball et a1 July 21, 1931 2,291,645 Nordquist Aug. 4, 1942 

